“I should have made sure long ago that I was the one receiving the calls and the mail from the debt collection agencies. I’ll fix that right away.” Anxiously, she smoothed her bangs to the side. “I let Gemma bear the brunt of things after her father went to prison. That was wrong of me. She was so young.”
“Gemma wanted to take on all that she did. She's persuasive and strong. She wouldn't have had it any other way and you couldn't have stopped her if you'd tried.” Gentle Simone was no match for Gemma in terms of willpower. “I reached out to you because, if you’d like, I can explain to you your rights and also how to keep the debt collectors in line using the laws already in place.”
Surprise smoothed her features. “I . . . Really?”
“Yes.”
“That would be amazing. This is timely because a few weeks ago, I received a complaint one of the collectors filed against me in court. I didn't know what to do.”
“How old is the debt specified in the complaint?” Jude asked, frowning.
“All of my debts originated seven years ago, when my husband went to prison. I've made payments on them. As much as I was able. It was never enough.”
“The statute of limitations in Maine is six years. Debts older than that, like yours, are referred to as time-barred debts. They can't take you to court for them.”
“They can’t?”
“No. If you'll furnish me with a copy of the complaint you received, I'll read over it and let you know how to respond to the court.”
“Thank you. I—I’ll need to pay you for your time.”
“Definitely not. This is just me sharing what I know with a friend. We can spend as much time as you’d like talking through this today. And you can call me with additional questions anytime. I'm also going to put you in touch with a debt counselor who will be able to advise you, free of charge, on debt modification and debt consolidation.” Either he'd find a counselor who provided services free through a non-profit, or he'd hire one for her. “Together, you can come up with a strategy. Which should take off a lot of the pressure.”
Moisture sprang to her eyes.
He had a soft spot for mothers, like his own mother, who'd had to go it alone when their husbands walked off stage. “Are you all right?” he asked gently.
“I just—I can’t believe you'd do all of this for us.”
I would do anything to make Gemma's life better. He woke up every day remembering the agonizing sight of Gemma with Chaz. He went to sleep thinking about it. The possibility that he'd never see her again was a thorn in his side. But here was one small thing, the only thing, he could actively do for Gemma. A stampede of horses couldn't have kept him from this.
“You must care about Gemma,” she said. “A lot.”
“I do.”
“How can I ever thank you?”
“No thanks needed. I do have one request, though.”
“Anything.”
“Can we please keep my involvement in this confidential?”
“You . . . don't want me to tell Gemma?”
“No. I spoke with a debt collector when he called her, so she knows I stepped into that one situation. I'd like to leave it at that for now.”
“But why? She'd be so grateful to you.”
“That's just it. I don't want her to feel obligated to be with me.” Gemma wasn't with him. Even if she was, she wasn't the type to keep a boyfriend around due to a sense of obligation.
Her thin brows rose. “I can't imagine, Jude, that any woman would feel obligated to be with you.”
“Gemma might. Also, I don't want her to spend any more time thinking about debt collection.”
Simone nodded thoughtfully. Sniffed. Gave him a tremulous smile. “Jude? You have a deal.”
ChapterEighteen
